Wall paneling joint seal



1964 H. B. BOWMAN 3,

WALL PANELING JOINT SEAL Filed Feb. 26, 1962 'n INVENTOR.

HAM; 7 0 B. BOWMAN ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,143,828 WALL PANELDIG JOINT SEAL Hamilton B.Bowman, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Bowman Steel Corporation,Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 26, 1962, Ser.No. 175,524 2 Claims. (Cl. 50-220) This invention relates to sheet metalwall paneling, and more particularly to the joints between the panels.

A not uncommon way of making or finishing walls is to place a series ofsheet metal panels side by side with their edges overlapping andfastened together. For this purpose the overlapping edges of the panelsmay be provided with integral nesting channels, which are securedtogether by fastening members extending through their engaging bases.Often, such a joint is caulked to seal it and to cover the exposed endsof the fasteners inside the channels. The caulking requires aconsiderable amount of time and it may not be uniform, whereby itdetracts from the appearance of the wall.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide wall paneling ofthe type just referred to, in which a preformed sealing strip is clampedbetween the nesting channels and conceals the fastening members holdingthe channels together, in which the sealing strip can be quickly andeasily applied, and in which all of the finished joints have the sameappearance from the open side of the channels.

In accordance with this invention a plurality of sheet metal panels aredisposed side by side in overlapping relation. Each panel has upper andlower ends and vertical side portions. The overlapping side portions ofeach pair of adjoining panels are formed with a pair of vertical nestingchannels slightly spaced apart. The outer side wall of the inner one ofthe two nesting channels is narrower than its inner side wall. Seated inthe inner one of the two nesting channels is the body of a sealingstrip. This strip body extends out of the channel and laterally fromside to side of the space between the two panels to fill the majorportion of that space. The sealing strip also has a thin lip thatprojects from its body into the space between the nesting channels.Fasteners extend through the nesting channel bases and the sealing lipand into the body of the strip to connect the panels together and clampthe sealing strip in place. The sealing strip conceals the fastenersinside the channels.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of theinner side of my wall paneling;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the upper end of the paneling; and

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of a sealingstrip.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the interior surface of awall is formed from a plurality of sheet metal panels 1 that aredisposed side by side with their edges overlapping. These panels may befastened to a supporting structure (not shown) in any suitable manner.If desired, the central portions of the panels may be provided withintegral vertical corrugations to strengthen them. The opposite sides ofeach panel are provided with vertical channels 2 and 3 by rolling orotherwise bending the metal sheet into the desired shape. Pref-3,143,828 Patented Aug. 11, 1964 erably, the channels have flat baseswith side walls diverging therefrom. The overlapping areas of thechannels are formed by nesting each channel 2 in a channel 3 of theadjoining panel, and are held together by screws 4 extending through thechannel bases.

In accordance with this invention, one channel 2 of each panel is madesmaller than the other one so that when the channels on overlappingpanels are nested the channels can be spaced a slight distance apartwithout throwing the faces of the panels out of alignment. Also, theouter side wall 6 of inner channel 2 is considerably narrower than theinner side wall 7 of that channel. Most of the space inside the channelsis filled with sealing material. This material is a preformed sealingstrip, preferably a semi-rigid plastic extrusion that yieldssufliciently to seal the joint adequately. Vinyl plastic is perfectlysatisfactory. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sealing strip has aWedge-shape body 8 that engages most of the inner side wall 7 of theinner channel and seats snugly in that channel. The strip body alsoextends laterally across the edge of outer side wall 6 and intoengagement with the inner side wall 9 of the outer channel 3. Integralwith the strip body at a point near the outer edge of the inner channel,there is a thin lip 10 that also is channel-shape so that it will seatin the space between the nesting channels. The sealing strip can beattached easily to the inner channel 2 before the panels are overlapped,by sliding the strip lengthwise along the channel with its body 8 on oneside and its lip 10 on the other side of the channel wall.

After two channels have been nested with the sealing strip in place, thescrews 4 are driven through the parallel bases of the two channels andthrough the sealing lip 10 between them and into the body of the strip.These screws clamp the sealing lip between the channels and rigidlyconnect the panels. In order to save material and also to facilitatedrawing the strip body tightly into the inner channel, the strip may beprovided with a longitudinal passage 12, into which the inner ends ofthe screws project. A parallel larger passage 13 saves still morematerial. It will be seen that all of the joints will have the sameappearance, the channels will be filled, and the screws will beconcealed by the sealing strips.

I claim:

1. Wall paneling comprising a plurality of sheet metal panels disposedside by side in overlapping relation, each panel having upper and lowerends and vertical side portions, the overlapping side portions of eachpair of adjoining panels being formed with a pair of vertical nestingchannels spaced apart slightly, the outer side wall of the inner one ofsaid pair of channels being narrower than the inner side wall thereof, asealing strip having a body seated in said inner channel in engagementwith both side walls thereof and extending therefrom laterally acrossthe longitudinal edge of said outer side wall from side to side of thespace between said pair of panels, the strip having an integral thinsealing lip projecting from said body and disposed in the space betweensaid nesting channels, and fasteners extending through the nestingchannel bases and sealing lip and into said body to connect the panelstogether, the sealing strip concealing said fasteners inside thechannels.

2. Wall paneling comprising a plurality of sheet metal panels disposedside by side in overlapping relation, each panel having upper and lowerends and vertical side portions, the overlapping side portions of eachpair of adjoining panels being formed with a pair of vertical nestingchannels spaced apart slightly, the outer side wall of the inner one ofsaid pair of channels being narrower than the inner side wall thereof, aplastic extrusion sealing strip having a body seated in said innerchannel and extending across the longitudinal edge of said outer sidewall and into engagement with the inner side wall of the outer of saidnesting channels, said strip having a thin channel-shape lip integralalong one edge with said body and disposed in the space between thenesting channels,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS KramerOct. 2, 1923 Shields June 26, 1945 Li 1 't

1. WALL PANELING COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SHEET METAL PANELS DISPOSEDSIDE BY SIDE IN OVERLAPPING RELATION, EACH PANEL HAVING UPPER AND LOWERENDS AND VERTICAL SIDE PORTIONS, THE OVERLAPPING SIDE PORTIONS OF EACHPAIR OF ADJOINING PANELS BEING FORMED WITH A PAIR OF VERTICAL NESTINGCHANNELS SPACED APART SLIGHTLY, THE OUTER SIDE WALL OF THE INNER ONE OFSAID PAIR OF CHANNELS BEING NARROWER THAN THE INNER SIDE WALL THEREOF, ASEALING STRIP HAVING A BODY SEATED IN SAID INNER CHANNEL IN ENGAGEMENTWITH BOTH SIDE WALLS THEREOF AND EXTENDING THEREFROM LATERALLY ACROSSTHE LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID OUTER SIDE WALL FROM SIDE TO SIDE OF THESPACE BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF PANELS, THE STRIP HAVING AN INTEGRAL THINSEALING LIP PROJECTING FROM SAID BODY AND DISPOSED IN THE SPACE BETWEENSAID NESTING CHANNELS, AND FASTENERS EXTENDING THROUGH THE NESTINGCHANNEL BASES AND SEALING LIP AND INTO SAID BODY TO CONNECT THE PANELSTOGETHER, THE SEALING STRIP CONCEALING SAID FASTENERS INSIDE THECHANNELS.